STUDENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

STUDENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We begin to advertise our list of available properties for the next academic year from October. Our properties are the first to be listed on our property portals such as Rightmove, On The Market and our own website. We feel this gives students a chance to see our wide range of properties and helps you see what’s out there. Once you have made a shortlist of properties you’d like to see we suggest you call our Cathays branch to get you booked in for viewings. Alternatively, let us do the hard work for you! If you know what accommodation you want, call us up and we will match you to your property. We continue to list all properties until our stock has gone, so even though our availability list decreases, there are still properties available to let over the following months.

There are four universities in Cardiff; Cardiff University, The University of South Wales, Cardiff Met University and The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. As a result there are various campuses spread throughout the city, however you will find that the majority of students settle in the Cathays and Plasnewydd (Roath) area. And the reason for these preferred areas? Good central location, easily accessible public transport links and that student community feel. Having said that other areas such as Splott, Adamsdown and city centre also offer student accommodation.

Prices can vary depending on the property, as we hold Cardiff’s largest market share in student accommodation we can provide homes for a wide range of budgets. We find that the average rent is around £310 per person per month, but again can vary depending on quality, size and location.

The majority of our properties do not come with bills included, however there are some landlords that offer bills included in the rent. Your lettings negotiator will be able to confirm this when you are booking your viewings.

An agency fee secures the property for you and takes it off the market, meaning the property is provisionally yours. The agency fee will vary depending on the amount of rent. The agency fee will cover the cost of setting up the tenancy and administration work such as creating the tenancy agreement etc. The agency fee is non-refundable should you change your mind, however extenuating circumstances may be considered and you would need to speak to the Lettings Manager for a final decision.

There is a smaller need for these types of properties and therefore availability is low, however, we do try our best to help everyone and therefore, from time to time, we do offer rooms in shared accommodation, you will most likely find these April time onwards.

A managed property is when Keylet looks after the property on behalf of the landlord, and therefore any queries you may have comes directly to us. You would also be required to pay rent, report maintenance and any other issues to Keylet. This usually means you would have little or no contact with your landlord as we would act as the managing agent, making us able to sign the tenancy agreement, instruct maintenance (within reason) and deal with any queries you may have.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Let Only properties available, this is when Keylet are instructed to let the property. We often sign the contracts with you in the office and you collect keys from us, however from this point everything else is dealt between you and the landlord direct.

Your responsibilities are listed in your Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, our standard agreement is available to read online and we have also helped clarify what is classed as tenant or landlord maintenance responsibilities. It is important to note that tenants are responsible for reporting maintenance issues in a timely manner so that the landlord can deal with any issues before they get worse.

Your landlord’s responsibilities are also listed in the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement and its worth taking a look at our webpage for your landlords responsibilities. A landlord will always need to ensure that the property is fit to live in, this includes, adequate heating, hot water, sewerage, gas and electrical checks and lighting.

A guarantor, is a ‘financial backer’, usually a parent or relative, whereby they sign a contract agreeing to cover your rent payments if you are unable to do so, they also agree to cover costs to repair any damage to the property. We ask that all students have a guarantor, however if you are an overseas tenant unable to provide a UK based guarantor, we would ask that you pay your rent quarterly (3 months in advance).

If a tenant decides to leave the property, they are still liable for their rent until a suitable replacement tenant is found and the relevant paperwork reflecting this is signed. The replacement tenant will need to come into our office to provide their details and run through the same process as the previous tenants in terms of completing the application and providing a suitable guarantor. There is also a fee payable to both parties to complete the administration work.

An inventory is a document that lists the current condition of the fixtures and fittings of the property. Our fully trained staff ensure this document is up to date before you move in. Once you have signed the tenancy agreement, we will also ask you to sign a copy of the inventory, we then give you the exact same copy to take away with you and you get 7 days to make any amendments and return this to us. We then accept this as your inventory and will be the one we use to complete your check out inspection. We may require to come out to the property to check your amendments and if we do so we will let you know. If you feel the inventory we have given you is an accurate account of the condition of the property, there is no need to take any further action, we will then use the copy you signed in the office at your check out inspection.

HMO stands for Houses in Multiple Occupation, the law requires that certain types of rented property are licensed in order to meet standards that ensure a house is safe for the occupants and that the landlord is competent, qualified and the most appropriate person to manage it. HMO licensing lays down fire safety requirements and applies standards relating to kitchen and bathroom facilities. It will set maximum occupancy limits and control ongoing management standards. In addition Additional Licensing Schemes for Cathays and Plasnewydd also look to tackle wider community issues such as waste, anti-social behaviour, energy efficiency and property security.

Don’t be afraid to contact us, you should let Keylet know as soon as possible should you not be in a position to pay your rent. You are under contract to ensure that the rent is paid on the agreed day at the agreed sum, and if you fall behind you are in breach of your contract. As per the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement, administration charges will be added to your account accordingly, and in the event of arrears, we may contact your guarantor so they can cover the rent on your behalf.

If you are a Let Only property you will need to contact your landlord direct. If you are a managed property we have an online system available 24/7 that can log any maintenance required. You will be given your unique log in details when you move in, and when you need us, visit www.keylet.co.uk/maintenance and click the maintenance box on the right hand side. For emergencies during working hours, (such as gas, electrical faults and leaks) we recommend you contact our offices directly so we can sort any issues as soon as possible and to avoid further damage. For out of hours emergencies, call our main office line and you will be put through to the relevant contractor.

Unless otherwise agreed, you are responsible for setting up all utilities at the property. Students are exempt from paying council tax, although you will still need to provide Keylet, as well as Cardiff Council, with the council tax exemption certificate provided by your University. You are liable to pay the TV license, if you sign a joint tenancy agreement you will only need one license to cover the whole property. The cost of electricity and gas will vary depending on the size of the property, your energy provider and your usage. It is essential that you call all your utility providers when you move in to the property to set up your account and with an opening meter reading so that they start billing you accurately from the day you moved in. Take note, that some gas and electric can be metered on a pay as you go meter, while others will set up a monthly direct debit. You are also liable for water bills and will be required to set up an account from the day your tenancy starts, however there is only one provider for this utility which is Welsh Water.

A tenancy deposit is a sum of money held against the property as security for the landlord in case of the property being returned in a poor condition. Therefore, this deposit will be returned in full at the end of your tenancy if the property has been left in a good condition. There is government legislation in place that protects your security deposit, meaning that the money has to be registered with a third party scheme and is protected during the duration of your tenancy. The majority of our deposits are usually a full month’s rent plus £50 per person, but we will always confirm this when you sign the receipt of payment when paying the agency fee. For all our managed properties, we register bonds with The Dispute Service if you have taken a Let Only property your landlord is mostly likely to go with Deposit Protection Service or My Deposits. Deposits must be paid in full, in cleared funds prior to you moving in to the property.

You will be sent a letter or an email within 10 working days, should there be any deductions from the bond deposit. Deductions are made for any remedial maintenance, cleaning, or arrears left on the property. We accept fair wear and tear on the property and we will use the inventory as a guide to determine if the property has been left in a good condition.

After you have vacated the tenancy and providing there is no deductions, you must provide copies of all your final bills confirming the accounts are at a zero balance or have been closed down. The date on the finals bills must match that of your tenancy end date. Similarly you must provide a copy of your council tax exemption certificate. Once these have been provided it is on this basis we can return your bond to you, this can either be by cheque or bank transfer and will be within 21 days of the final documents being received. We appreciate this is a lot to take in, so not to worry, we will remind you about your council tax exemption certificate by November and will remind you of your final bills along with your check-out inspection letter in May.